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Monday 27th saw the official launch of EPF’s campaign on Access to Healthcare at the European Parliament. LUPUS EUROPE has been involved in the Working group for this project and the working group met on Tuesday to discuss Monday’s meeting and the next steps and the work which remains ahead. There is still a lot of work to do on this very important subject.

Photos from the kick off meeting at the parliament are visible on EPF’s facebook page here.

The following article is copied from EPF’s web page on the campaign.

Campaign on Access to Healthcare

From January 2017, EPF carries a flagship campaign on Access to Healthcare. This theme is a long standing priority for EPF and its membership, and is at the heart of the vision of the organisation.

Under the tagline ‘Universal Health Coverage For All’, the campaign is an opportunity to raise awareness about the barriers patients face in accessing healthcare, and to build on current political momentum – including the UN Sustainable Development Goals for health – to foster more EU cooperation on access to healthcare.

The EPF Working Group on Access drafted the following overarching strategic objective for the campaign:

The EPF Access campaign will contribute to make universal access a reality for EU patients by 2030, through defining and promoting concrete actions, in concert with the health community, to which decision makers need to commit, to ensure we achieve the Health SDGs by 2030.”

EPF has used use its prior work on access to shape the messages of the campaign; in particular looking at the definition of access to healthcare, and the statement on pricing and reimbursement of innovative medicines.

Practical info

The one-year campaign will be officially launched on 27 February at the European Parliament, in Brussels. The event – co-hosted by MEP Kateřina Konečná (GUE/NGL, Czech Republic) and MEP Andrey Kovatchev (EPP, Bulgaria) – will be an opportunity to present the campaign and to discuss what actions should be taken to achieve Universal Health Coverage at European level.

Rationale – Why a campaign on access?

Disparities in access to healthcare predate the financial crisis in Europe, but against a background of austerity measures and falling healthcare spending in many Member States since 2009, inequalities have been made worse. Access to care is affected by austerity policies in response to the economic crisis, such as cuts in healthcare budgets and in insurance coverage, increased fees and co-payments, and cuts in social protection measures.

At the same time, healthcare systems are facing increasing demands as a result of demographic change. As the population ages, the number of patients with chronic diseases is growing. Patients who developed a chronic disease at a younger age are also living longer, thanks to modern medical treatments. Patients with chronic diseases develop specific needs which the healthcare systems need to adapt to.

Patients across the EU are reporting multiple barriers to access to healthcare, whether it’s not available, not adapted to needs, or not affordable. EU Member States need to overturn the current trends of short sighted decisions on investment in healthcare, and commit to realising universal access by 2030 by taking concrete steps. EU Member States need to achieve universal health coverage and improve access to healthcare by 2030 according to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Contact

If you have questions about the campaign, don’t hesitate to contact us!

  • For policy-related content:

Katie Gallagher – Policy Adviser

  • For dissemination/communication activities & material:

Laurent Louette – EPF Communications Officer

Sara Gayarre – EPF Communications Assistant

 

 

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3 days ago
LUPUS EUROPE

🚨 Call for patients🚨

🔊 INSPIRE SURVEY from the University of Cambridge.

This survey aims to improve the understanding of neurological symptoms in SLE and other rheumatic conditions.

Lupus is a very heterogeneous disease, which means that it affects people of different ethnic backgrounds and gender in different ways.

That is why, to get accurate research results, as many different groups as possible must be represented in the sample.

The INSPIRE survey was launched last year to get the patient experience on the assessment/monitoring of neurological symptoms, but they received very few responses from people from ethnic minorities.

That is why the research team led by Dr Chris Wincup has launched a new survey.

The new INSPIRE survey can be completed by lupus patients or their carers from around the world.

🟣 Please share as much as possible 🟣 in order to get a sample that includes a good proportion of all ethnic groups.

Thank you!

bit.ly/inspire_patients_short
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Comment on Facebook

I did it a second time and no it went good till the end

The survey was demolished.

4 days ago
LUPUS EUROPE

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is the most common form of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus. It is characterised by persistent scaly plaques on the scalp, face, and ears, which can progress to scarring, atrophy, depigmentation, and permanent hair loss in affected hair-bearing areas (Source: DermNet).

This study, published by Prof Marca Mosca et al., describes 2 cases of severe and refractory DLE successfully treated with anifrolumab, a human monoclonal antibody.

Although anifrolumab has been recently approved for the treatment of SLE, data from randomized clinical trials have shown a significant difference in cutaneous response rate in patients treated with anifrolumab from those in the placebo group.

While the effectiveness of this treatment in real life and in different types of skin lesions has yet to be determined, it could represent a new valid opportunity for treating DLE.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/article-abstract/2798967
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Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is the most common form of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus. It is characterised by persistent scaly plaques on the scalp, face, and ears, which can progress to scarring, atrophy, depigmentation, and permanent hair loss in affected hair-bearing areas (Source: DermNet). 

This study, published by Prof Marca Mosca et al., describes 2 cases of severe and refractory DLE successfully treated with anifrolumab, a human monoclonal antibody. 

Although anifrolumab has been recently approved for the treatment of SLE, data from randomized clinical trials have shown a significant difference in cutaneous response rate in patients treated with anifrolumab from those in the placebo group. 

While the effectiveness of this treatment in real life and in different types of skin lesions has yet to be determined, it could represent a new valid opportunity for treating DLE.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/article-abstract/2798967Image attachmentImage attachment
5 days ago
LUPUS EUROPE

We know some of you missed the great seminar recently delivered by Prof. Laurent Arnaud.

Well, no worries!

You have the chance to see it again, thanks to the European Federation of Internal Medicine (EFIM).

"Challenges in 2023 for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus".

Next 29th of March at 18:00 CET (i.e. Paris time).

Register for free here!

us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_O5yMwjfgTS29pMKvOZfgZw
... See MoreSee Less

We know some of you missed the great seminar recently delivered by Prof. Laurent Arnaud. 

Well, no worries! 

You have the chance to see it again, thanks to the European Federation of Internal Medicine (EFIM). 

Challenges in 2023 for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Next 29th of March at 18:00 CET (i.e. Paris time).

Register for free here! 

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_O5yMwjfgTS29pMKvOZfgZwImage attachment
6 days ago
LUPUS EUROPE

Did you miss this ERN RECONNET webinar with Lou Kawka and Prof Laurent Arnaud about #fatigue in #SLE?

Now you have the chance to watch it!!! 😃🙌

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jc7SiP5BsA
... See MoreSee Less

Did you miss this ERN RECONNET webinar with Lou Kawka and Prof Laurent Arnaud about #fatigue in #SLE? 

Now you have the chance to watch it!!! 😃🙌

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jc7SiP5BsA
LUPUS EUROPE Uniting people with Lupus throughout Europe
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